Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

This is not going to end well.

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Quoth Seshat View Post
    I really, really like how intelligent some of the parrots are. The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo is extremely intelligent, and I met one who would participate intelligently in conversations: he had phrases he would use that had actual meanings to himself and his humans, and he'd learned to mimic human laughter and knew what it was for.
    I've owned birds for 15+ years. If someone doesn't have time for a dog, they're probably not going to have time for a parrot. Especially for larger birds, they are far more work than a dog. At least with a dog if you've got a fenced backyard, you can let the dog go run around on his own for a bit. Parrots need constant attention and things to keep them busy. Otherwise you end up with a screechy, neurotic bird who feather-plucks. And that's a hard habit to break them of once it starts. And the bigger, more intelligent the bird, the more you have to interact with and train them. I would love to have an African Grey, but I know I don't have the time or the inclination to really care for one. Cockatoos and their relatives are also very dusty birds, which will not help anyone with allergies or asthma. They also tend to be a bit more sensitive than other parrot species; both health-wise and emotionally. I have to leave a nightlight on for my 'tiel because he has night frights and thrashes around the cage if it's completely dark. And they're loud. Really loud.

    Even on the really smart end, parrots only have the intelligence of a 2-5 year old child. Which is plenty smart for a bird, but unlike human children, they never grow out of it. And you're looking at a 40+ year lifespan of perpetual toddlerhood. Canaries and finches are pretty low maintenance, though. They do tend to do better in groups. I love to watch the finches at the pet store. They're super cute!

    TL;DR: parrots are a lot of work.
    I am no longer of capable of the emotion you humans call “compassion”. Though I can feign it in exchange for an hourly wage. (Gravekeeper)

    Comment


    • #17
      Quoth sms001 View Post
      don't forget to start keeping your ears open for chick and duck adopters.
      Don't forget rabbit adopters. As a rule of thumb, if an animal is associated with a particular holiday, it shouldn't be adopted until at least a month after the holiday - cut down on the impulse adoptions.

      Similarly, don't adopt a pet immediately before a major holiday - the noise and confusion, along with crowds (i.e. people invited to parties) are a stress the pet doesn't need.

      I've heard that Dalmation enthusiasts refer to a particular Disney film as "That damn movie" - the breed needs more attention than someone without dog experience can give them, and they do NOT make good pets for children.
      Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

      Comment


      • #18
        Re parrots: oh, absolutely. That - all of that - is why I don't and won't have one. Now, if I happen to make friends with someone who has one ....

        Re rabbits, ducks, chicks, etc. Oooh, good point. And yes, I know someone who would cheerfully foster and possibly adopt 'strays', and I also know both a vet who does placements and the local address of the RSPCA.
        Seshat's self-help guide:
        1. Would you rather be right, or get the result you want?
        2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
        3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
        4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

        "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

        Comment


        • #19
          We've got a Quaker parrot, and the thing is far more needy than any dog I've ever owned. It needs an attitude/wing cutting adjustment as it gets all uppity once it realizes it no longer needs a human to get it from point A to point B.
          But the paint on me is beginning to dry
          And it's not what I wanted to be
          The weight on me
          Is Hanging on to a weary angel - Sister Hazel

          Comment


          • #20
            Quoth Seshat View Post
            This is the same reason I don't have children.

            Need I add: I approve. Wholeheartedly. Get the pet that's right for both of you.

            I really, really like how intelligent some of the parrots are. <snip>

            I would LOVE to befriend one, for that reason. Watch his intellect develop, teach him words and phrases, give him toys to puzzle through.
            It's probably just as well I don't have kids; I like them, but I don't know I would have made a good parent. I'm happy being an aunt.

            I like birds; I love to watch birds in the wild. But I hate the idea of caging them, and I haven't the time to care for something I can't get the kind of affection from that I get from cats and dogs.
            They say that God only gives us what we can handle. Apparently, God thinks I'm a bad ass.

            Comment


            • #21
              As some of you who have me as a friend on Facebook know, my wife and I adopted two cats from PAWS, and we also volunteer there. The manager told us that quite a few cats get adopted and later returned. Sometimes they get adopted as kittens, and then when they're no longer cute, the owners lose interest and return them. Other times, the owner decides that a cat is too much work. We haven't been there long enough to see any cats get adopted and then returned, but some of the ones we've worked with have been returns. In fact, the two we adopted were both returns.

              I just don't see how people can just give their pets away like that, although I guess it's better that they returned them to the shelter, rather than just tossing them out to fend for themselves. Awhile back, I had to give away some of my cats, and it broke my heart. I had four cats, and the lady I was renting from was OK with it because they were indoor/outdoor cats. Then the township passed a law against letting your cats outside, and she didn't want that many cats in the apartment all the time. She told me I could keep one cat, but I had to find homes for the other three.
              Sometimes life is altered.
              Break from the ropes your hands are tied.
              Uneasy with confrontation.
              Won't turn out right. Can't turn out right

              Comment


              • #22
                What if those people who had puppy syndrome get a robot dog like Zoomer?
                cindybubbles (👧 ❤️ 🎂 )

                Enter Cindyland here!

                Comment


                • #23
                  Quoth Ophbalance View Post
                  We've got a Quaker parrot, and the thing is far more needy than any dog I've ever owned. It needs an attitude/wing cutting adjustment as it gets all uppity once it realizes it no longer needs a human to get it from point A to point B.
                  Cockatiels get like that too. I know mine is a holy terror when he realizes he can fly. And he still flies fairly well even with his wings clipped.
                  I am no longer of capable of the emotion you humans call “compassion”. Though I can feign it in exchange for an hourly wage. (Gravekeeper)

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Whenever I happen to sell a rabbit, I do it with the condition that if they change their minds, I will take it back. I don't do it too often; most of the rabbits are bred for meat, I don't want parents buying easter bunnies for their kids then not giving them the attention they deserve - rabbits are SO social!

                    I have 3-bucks and 4-does, so I can have a LOT of rabbits at once when I breed.

                    I'm a bleeding heart for animals that need a home. The Housemate adopted a snake when the owner's landlord refused to let her keep it. I adopted a snake and a bearded dragon for the same reasons. I'm sitting a rabbit that currently needs a home; she's fixed, and we really only keep breeding rabbits, so we're on the lookout for a family for her. I'm a sucker for any animal that needs a home, and people keep bringing me cottontails and baby birds to raise too!

                    I just hate turning away an animal that needs help because of the stupidity or carelessness of humans.

                    My ex-sister, on the other hand, LOVES having expensive, exotic pure-bred cats and had 9 of them in her house, even though her daughter has severe asthma and pet allergies and was hooked-up to a nebulizer nearly 24-7 because of the cats; eventually she began living with my other sister because she just couldn't breath in her own house! Having these beautiful cats was more important than the health of her only child.
                    Last edited by LillFilly; 03-16-2014, 02:14 AM.
                    "If anyone wants this old box containing the broken bits of my former faith in humanity, I'll take your best offer now. You may be able to salvage a few of em' for parts..... " - Quote by Argabarga

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X